Conducting Research on the Web

Alternative Search Engines

Although Google has become the most used search engine, it is not necessary the best when searching
for good research on the web. Since each search engine has its own search algorithm and ranking
process results using the same key words can differ between search engines. Using a meta-search engine
will combine results from common search engines. There are specialty and subject specific search
engines as well as meta-search engines that may provide better results for your research needs. Subject
directories are often maintained by professional librarians or other groups of individuals, and who select
resources to information that is appropriate for scholarly research (Vidmar, 2014). A university provides a
good list of subject directories. Google Scholar, a subset of the Google search engine, limits search
results to scholarly literature such as papers, theses, books, and reports.

Alternative search engines to consider instead of using Google include:

Evaluating Websites
When youre using the Internet for research, you shouldnt assume that everything you find is accurate
and appropriate to use. Some websites are more commercial in nature, and therefore may present a
biased opinion while other websites are outdated and may not reflect the most current information on
the topic. Since anyone can publish information on the web, you cannot assume the information you find
is accurate or written by an authority on the topic. The following is a list of items to consider when
evaluating whether a website is appropriate to use in your research (Kapoun, 2010).

Authority: Can you determine who wrote the article, or what company/institution is sponsoring
the website? Is the publisher reputable? Is there a way to contact the company or author for
more information, if needed?
 Bias or Objectivity: What are the goals of the article or website? Is the intended purpose to
advertise or promote? Does the author express opinions that may reflect only one side of a
situation?
Relevance: Is the information on the site current? Can you find a date indicating when the article
was written? Is the date current? Are there links on the webpage that are no longer active?
Audience: Is the website intended for your research needs? Is the information too casual,
elementary, or promotional?
Coverage: Do the links on the site complement the document topic? Does the site feature mostly
images or all text? Is there a fee to obtain all the information?

Works Cited

Kapoun, J. (2010, May 10). Five criteria for evaluating Web pages. Retrieved from Olin & Uris Libraries,
Cornell University: http://olinuris.library.cornell.edu/ref/research/webcrit.html

University Libraries, University of Alabama. (n.d.). Access to Google Scholar. Retrieved from University of
Alabama: www.lib.ua.edu/googlescholar

Vidmar, D. (2014, July 8). Internet Search Tools. Retrieved from Sourthern Oregon University:
http://hanlib.sou.edu/searchtools/subjdir.html

Your task
Read and understand fully the content of this document. Click the hypertext that links to the list of
subject directories. Choose 3 topics which correspond to your preference. Copy and paste the
information from the Internet, but be sure to paraphrase to avoid plagiarism. Complete the table below
by comparing the effective use of the stated search engines.

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encourage you to use
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